Canucks win shootout but lose Ryan Kesler (knee) 'for a while'

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Alex Burrows knew the goals would come. He didn't expect it would take until March.

The Vancouver right winger scored his first and second goals of an injury-marred season to help the Canucks beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 in a shootout Wednesday night.

Chris Higgins had the only goal in the shootout as Vancouver handed the Jets their fifth straight loss.

Burrows was playing in only his 36th game this season after breaking a foot to start the season and then breaking his jaw in December.

"I hit a few posts, a few saves, a few rebounds, a few empty nets that should have gone in," Burrows said. "It's a fine line between goals and not.

"Tonight I was able to get a few. Even though, honestly, I could have got four, I think. I hit the post, a few tips that they blocked, and a 2-on-1 in the first, my stick breaks."

But Vancouver suffered another injury blow when center Ryan Kesler left the game in the second period after a knee-on-knee collision with Jets center Jim Slater.

Canucks coach John Tortorella said Kesler will be sent back to Vancouver for tests while his teammates keep traveling to games against Washington, Florida and Tampa Bay.

"He's going to get some imaging, and we'll have a better indication of where he's at, but he's out for a while," Tortorella said.

Slater said he didn't intentionally try to hurt Kesler.

"I thought I had him lined up; he kind of bailed there at the last second there," Slater said. "I didn't stick my knee out or anything in his path, wasn't leading with my leg. I thought I actually took the worst of it. Obviously, if he's hurt bad, I feel bad about that. It wasn't any intent. I thought I had him lined up, and at the last second, he tried to jump out of the way."

Higgins scored the decisive goal with some quick stick-handling on his way toward Ondrej Pavelec, flipping the puck by him after the netminder went down.

Andrew Ladd scored his 18th goal of the season and Michael Frolik added his 13th, which put the Jets ahead 2-1 early in the third period.

Burrows tied it at 2 at 11:17 of the third period.

Vancouver is 2-4-1 in its past seven games.

The game was a big improvement for the Canucks, who collapsed Monday night and gave up seven goals in the third period in a 7-4 loss to the New York Islanders.

The Canucks have 70 points and Winnipeg 69 as they battle for a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Dallas holds the last wild-card berth with 74 points. Phoenix has 73.

"We got opportunities to get the second point there the last couple games. We've got to start getting them," said Jets rookie defenseman Jacob Trouba, who logged almost 28 minutes of ice time. "Those are points we're letting slip away. It's good that we get one and we look at the positives and try to think about that, but at the same time, it's at the back of your mind -- you've got to get those points that you're letting go."

Game notes

Vancouver's Henrik Sedin played in his 1,000th NHL game, all with Vancouver. ... Vancouver was 0-for-5 on the power play and the Jets 0-for-4.

Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press

SPONSORED HEADLINES

Photo Wire

WINNIPEG, MB - MARCH 12: Tobias Enstrom #39 of the Winnipeg Jets and Henrik Sedin #33 of the Vancouver Canucks...